My name is Ashley Felder, and I teach Creative Writing & Journalism, English I Accelerated, English II, and English III at Petal High School. After teaching 8th grade English/Language Arts for two years at Petal Middle School, I was very excited to move to the high school in 2019 and have the opportunity to continue to work with the exceptional students of the Petal School District. Teaching high school English allows me to do the things I love the most: read, write, and invest in students.

I grew up in the small town of Liberty, MS, nearly two hours west of Petal. After high school, I moved to Hattiesburg to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, where I received my bachelor’s degree in English Licensure. While in college, I was active in the Honors College, completing an undergraduate honors thesis, and served in leadership roles in a few student organizations. 

Because I personally enjoy reading and writing in a wide range of contexts, and since I believe the skills and habits taught in English/Language Arts to be of the utmost importance for success in a global society, I am extremely passionate about literacy and helping students to become knowledgeable and well-read citizens. I am a teacher consultant with the South Mississippi Writing Project and share their goals of improving literacy instruction across all grade levels and subject areas. I hope to teach my students not only how to read and write well, but also how to develop the habits of competent and constructive members of society. I am also currently in the process of achieving National Board Certification.

I am thrilled to have the chance to continue assisting students as they endeavor to reach their major life goals, not the least of which is to reach graduation. I cannot wait to get to know this year’s group of students and to be able to see how much they grow across this school year.

Please feel free to email me at any time if you have questions about my class!